Bleh. Her message pops up, bringing me back to the now. My strength is almost back, but I still can't mind work. Levi told me that it'll take time after a traumatic event. How are you?

I sit on my bed. Loads of homework, and still grounded. But nothing as bad as you, I miss you.

I gaze outside my window, the blue sky shining brightly against the clouds moving in. My desire to start my work is competing with my longing to spend time with Abe, or better yet, go out and reconnect with Milo and Nya. I had only asked Nya about Milo once since that night, and she told me he had been asleep for three days after. As I navigate through my punishment, I cling to the hope that soon I'll be able to resurface and live as a regular teenager once more. Though, I doubt that would ever happen.

I sigh, setting to work when my phone rings. Only a few people had this number, including Abe, so I pick it up without looking too closely at the number.

"Hello?" I keep my voice low, so no one hears me.

"Hey." The last voice I expected responds.

"Milo?" I can sense my heart beating against my chest. "Milo, are you okay? I'm so sorry, I was stupid, I should have never done that, I almost got you killed. I'm so sorry."

"No, I'm sorry I dragged you into that dangerous situation."

"You know, for a fact I dragged you, don't make it sound like I'm innocent, I barely was able to save you. How are you doing? Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." He clears his throat. "I feel like I owe you one for that one, for saving me."

"Oh, come on, that's what friends are for, don't worry about it. You saved my life a few times already, you own me nothing. I'm happy you and Nya are alive, and okay."

He's been quiet for such a long time. I think he must have hung up. "If there is anything I can do for you," His voice comes on low. "I owe you that much. I shouldn't have let you go, I'm stronger, and I could have put my foot down, had my guard up, I should have sense Jason, I shouldn't have ever put you in that situation. And I know better, and I was weak at that moment, I hate myself for that. I despise being in this state. You saved me, please let me do this."

I head over to my bed, laying on my back, and smile towards the sky. "I wish you could see the sky right now."

"Me too. Describe it to me." His voice was soft now.

I take a moment to take in the autumn sunset. In the dimming blue sky, the clouds painted in almost pastel pinks and reds create a beautiful contrast with the deep purple sky. With one of two stars already twinkling in the premature night, and the sun casting a glowing light that feels nostalgic even in the present, it is truly captivating. The way it was perpetual, but every day was different, something new to experience. I try to paint the picture for him, but no matter what my words were, it was nothing compared to the real sunset.

"Milo?" My voice was in a daze now.

"Hmm?"

"I thought of something you can help me with, but I don't think you'll like it."

"Name it."

Slowly, I explain everything, holding nothing back.

In the cold night air, I shiver. I had put on the shortest dress I owned and now I rub out the goose bumps raising on my arms, my body craving warmth. A doubt of my plan starts to weight on me when I hear the gate rattle as someone climbs over it.

"Hey." Austin comes up to me, then freezes when he takes in what I was wearing. "Damn, no wonder Woodman is protective of you. You look good."

I grin, letting my arms drop. "Thank you. Sorry about the bathroom thing, I didn't mean to hurt your pride."

He walks up to me and slips his arms around my waist, the heavy bag he was holding bangs against my legs, and I can tell they are bottles. "You can make it up to me." He begins to lean down.

"Not here, I'm freezing. I saw a shed over there," I point towards the football field. "it might be warmer."

He drops one arm but keeps the other firmly on my lower back as he leads me towards the shed. "The perfect spot."

I walk quickly, and Austin keeps in pace with me, his hand sliding lower. When we get there, before I can open the door, he pulls me back to him. "Tell me how you want to make it up to me." He pushes up the hem of my dress.

I grab the front of his shirt, pulling him along as I shoulder the door open. He keeps his eyes down at me, as he tries to push my chin up roughly for a kiss, but a creak snaps his attention to behind me.

I look back and watch as Milo's green eyes glowed from the shadow, his face very dimly lit from the moonlight. It seems to me that he is extremely angry, and I suspect I must have made a mistake in bringing him here.

"Who the fu- "Austin begins, but his whole body stiffens.

"Are you Austin?" Milo's voice sounds off, like it was coming from inside my head, not his mouth.

"Y-yes." Austin answers.

"Why are you here?"

"She invited me."

"Were you planning to assault her?"

"Only if she didn't let me." He sounds like he was trying not to talk.

"How many girls have you done this to?"

"Three."

"Were they aware of your advances?"

"No."

Milo takes a step forward, so he is level with me. I let myself take in one glance of him, his stone face was impossible to read, but I can tell he wasn't happy. "Did you do it alone?"

"No, my friends did too."

"You're going home tonight, gather up any proof of this you have and take it to the police. You're going to tell them everything, and I mean everything, beg them for the worst punishment possible. If they try to make it go away, sweep it under the rug, or let you off easy, you're going to beg them for a far worse punishment until they give it to you and your friends. If you don't get that, then you're going to take a knife and carve rapist on your forehead."

"Milo." My voice was low.

But he keeps going as if I never spoke. Anytime you consider performing that action towards a woman again, you must vocalize your intentions, then depart, and continue walking until you collapse from exhaustion. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes."

"Go then. Don't stop for anything until you get to the police station. Forget about this, and never, ever dwell on her again."

Austin blinks, attempts to direct his gaze towards me, but his eyes continue to avert, then he turns and departs the shed. I go towards the door frame, watching as he makes his way back from where we had come from.

"You think I was too hard on him?" Milo's voice was back to normal.

"No," I shiver. "I hope it doesn't have to get to that extreme."

I sense Milo's movement beside me, and before I know it, his bomber jacket was draped over my shoulders. "We should get you home" "

For the first time since that day, I see him. The only evidence of anything happening to him was his hair. It was short and choppy now, the curls were small, but still tried going down his forehead. I could see his face clearly now, and despite the hair, he was still godly.

We walk back in silence. I'm warmer in his jacket, but it was still colder than I have ever felt before.

"What do we do now?" I ask into the silent night.

"With him?"

"With the war."

"Jude has put a pause on things, for at least now. That'll give us time to figure out our next step."

"I'm scared." My voice is a whisper.

"I know." His hand brush against mine. "Me too."

"What did Nya do that made her way to you?" I lean into him in a friendly nudge, but his warmth keeps me close.

"What do you mean?"

"She told me her turning story. About how they kite that could feel her, her parents crossing the world to protect her, and her brother. She said you saved her, but you hated her because she showed no potential."

He smiles upwards. "I didn't hate her for that. because she was a mind worker."

"Because of your old fling?" He gives me a cautionary glare. "Alright, I'll drop that, but tell me what she did."

"She reminded me of someone from when I was alive, someone who also didn't get a chance at life." His eyes were back up, and I was sure it was because he didn't want me to see the tears sliding down his cheeks. "Her name was Iris." I plan on dropping it, I didn't mean to hurt him, but he looks down, openly letting the tears fall. "Jude wanted her, he wanted her strength and put her through a test to prove that fear, stress, and pressure will bring out her powers. It damn nearly killed her, and I wouldn't stand for that. He had his body worker fight his battles, and in the end, I nearly died too, it took Levi to stop the madness."

"Jesus, what happened?"

"Not now, some other time, when we're safe, maybe."

"Milo?"

"Hmm?"

I reminisce about the book my dad lent me. "Can I ask you one last thing?"

"I mean, what has ever stopped you before?"

"What's your full name? Your full Roman name?"

"Manius Umbrius Merula."

"Manius." I say slowly.

"Umbrius."

"Umbrius."

"Merula."

"Merula. It's hard to imagine you in the Roman times."

"I know, even for me sometimes."

We turn down the street, in one of the streetlights, I see little flakes fall from the sky. My eyes shift towards the cloudy night sky. "Is it snowing?" I walk ahead of him; his jacket slips off my shoulders.

"I guess it is."

I stretch out my arms, experiencing the dots of cold melting against my skin, I can't help but wear a smile. "Wow. I've never seen the snow before." I spin slowly, stopping to face him. "It's magical, it's beautiful."

"Columba mea," This catches me off guard, his eyes are on me, fully on me, not like he has ever looked at me before. His expression was gentle and benevolent, and even a slight grin appeared on his lips. Scooping up his jacket, he steps up to me and stops when he was right in front of me. He places the jacket back on my shoulders, softly scooping up some of my hair from under the fabric, and lets it slip off his fingers. "you're beautiful."

I gaze upward at him, taken aback, and warmed by the blush rising throughout my body. Before I am able to come up with something to say, he takes a step back.

"Goodnight." And he walks past me, without a single glance back. I watch him go to the gate, enter the numbers, and head up the hill, disappearing into the darkness midway up.

A new shiver runs up my back, so I turn towards my house and go inside. When I'm changed, warm and prepared for bed, I glance out my window up at his house. His light was on, and a dark shape was in his window. Before I lay down to sleep, I raise my hand towards it, even though I can't be sure, I think he returns the gesture. 

End of book one